Clear majority say no to ID in Glasgow

A comprehensive month-long survey of Glasgow shoppers has found that a clear majority oppose the introduction of compulsory ID cards and the creation of a National Identity Register (NIR).

376 people were polled on weekends between 12th August and 10th September. 335 were adults; the remainder were teenagers from 13 to 17. This is the largest poll to date of Scottish opinion regarding the Identity Cards Act (2006).

The poll gauged the opinion of more than twice as many Scottish adults as the Home Office consultation and was the first to ask the opinions of young teenagers - the people who are likely to be among the first to be enrolled on the National Identity Register.

Respondents were asked eight questions to gauge their opinions on different aspects of the scheme.

1. * The government has proposed the introduction of identity cards that in combination with your passport, will cost around £93. From what you have seen or heard do you think the proposal is a ...?
   a) very good idea b) good idea c) bad idea d) very bad idea
2. * As part of the National Identity Scheme the government has also proposed that everyone is required to attend an interview to give personal details about themselves for use by the police, tax authorities and all other government departments. From what you have seen or heard do you think that this is a ...?
   a) very good idea b) good idea c) bad idea d) very bad idea
3. At the interview you will be photographed, fingerprinted and will have your irises scanned. Does the idea of this make you feel ...?
   a) very comfortable b) comfortable c) uncomfortable d) very uncomfortable
4. The government claims that its national identity scheme will prevent identity fraud, while some leading independent experts claim that it will make the problem worse. Do you think that the scheme will make the risk of identity theft ...?
   a) much less likely b) less likely c) more likely d) much more likely
5. 13,000 civil servants recently had their identity data stolen from a government payroll database as part of a tax credit scam. How confident are you in the government's ability to store your identity data securely?
   a) very confident b) confident c) skeptical d) very skeptical
6. The government intend to create a National Identity Register, a single computer database that will store all your identity data and link to other information that the government holds about you, such as medical, tax, driving and benefit records. Do you think this is a ...?
   a) very good idea b) good idea c) bad idea d) very bad idea
7. The National Identity Register will record every occasion on which your identity is verified, such as when accessing medical services or visiting clinics. Does this make you feel ...?
   a) very comfortable b) comfortable c) uncomfortable d) very uncomfortable
8. Overall, how supportive are you of plans to introduce a compulsory national identity scheme?
   a) very supportive b) supportive c) opposed d) very opposed

* Questions 1 and 2 use identical wording to that used by ICM.

The results fall comfortably within the 95% confidence intervals of the latest polls by ICM and so we are confident that the results reflect the true opinions of a representative cross-section of the local community.

For further insight into local opposition to the identity scheme, you can download the full results and data.